Building a well rounded presentation that clarifies who you are, what you do, where you stand, and where you’re going all within 5 minutes can feel like an impossible undertaking. But when speaking concisely and in a structured fashion, while anticipating and addressing any questions you think your listener may have, nailing these points in an effective manner can be surprisingly easy.
Pitching Your Business, Product, and Self in Under 5 Minutes
1. Client: [ifridge]
Project: [ifridge Corporate]
Project Lead: [Daniel Kraft]
ifridge & Company
Pitching Your Business, Product, and
Self in Under 5 Minutes
Jesse Waxman, Associate, ifridge & Company
May, 2013
2. Client: [ifridge]
Project: [ifridge Corporate]
Project Lead: [Daniel Kraft]
Daniel Kraft
Founder & Managing Partner
Creative mind, communicator, investor
Stefanie Lightman
Founder & Managing Partner
Marketing veteran, keep-it-real expert
Markus von Aschoff
Director & General Manager
Strategist, translator from product to
market
ifridge & Company
Who we are
We are entrepreneurs. We support
those who have the courage to start a
company. Consider us your secret co-
founder who supports you in taking the
next step.
What we do
We build great companies, and we’re
here to help you to do the same. Our
engagements range from mentoring to a
full set of services from strategy to
operations.
Who do we help
We work directly with founders or
executive teams who have the drive to
start something. Structure is less
important than the vision and the people
behind it.
3. Client: [ifridge]
Project: [ifridge Corporate]
Project Lead: [Daniel Kraft]
What’s the problem? How do you solve it?
Start with a single line about what your product does.
Illustrate a real problem.
• Either give a personal and relatable example or use statistics to show the issue.
• Lead the listener to sympathize with this problem and to desire a solution.
Then dig deeper into what your product or service is.
• How do you solve the problem discussed above?
• Present something tangible: screenshots, demos, prototypes, etc.
Ensure that the benefit to all parties involved is made obvious, not just the end user.
4. Client: [ifridge]
Project: [ifridge Corporate]
Project Lead: [Daniel Kraft]
Show me the money!
What is the market you are targeting and how large is that market?
• Be prepared to defend why you’ve decided to go after a specific niche.
How are you going to make money?
• Clarify who you’ll be charging, and with what pricing model.
• How will you market your company, and what will be your distribution chain?
Address any competition, direct or indirect
• Having a few extra features isn’t enough
• What will prevent people from copying your model?
• Do you have anything proprietary?
5. Client: [ifridge]
Project: [ifridge Corporate]
Project Lead: [Daniel Kraft]
Where do you stand?
Show that you either have or can develop a very strong team
• Give headshots and a few bullet points of accomplishments to legitimize your group.
• Try to project a sense for your company, your values, and your culture.
What will make you a good leader?
• Successful entrepreneurs and successful CEOs can be very different people—sell the
idea that you can be both.
• Mention any experiences you’ve had that gave you expertise in this specific industry.
How far have you come so far with your business? Any landmark moments?
• Numbers on sales, revenues, or usage metrics help.
• Display logos of awards, media recognition, or elite programs your company has been
involved in.
6. Client: [ifridge]
Project: [ifridge Corporate]
Project Lead: [Daniel Kraft]
Where are you going?
Give a glimpse into the future
• Timelines for major moments ahead (like breakeven point) and calculated projections on
the metrics you use.
• What are the next steps in your business?
What are you looking for?
• Clarify exactly why you’re presenting.
• If you’re looking to raise money, give an idea of how much you need and what you’ll do
with the money. If you’re looking for users, offer a promotional discount.
• If you’re looking for investors and you’ve put in a significant amount of your own
money, state how much (unless it was wasted)
7. Client: [ifridge]
Project: [ifridge Corporate]
Project Lead: [Daniel Kraft]
Avoid the pitfalls
Be confident, not cocky.
Act with excitement, passion, and enthusiasm, but don’t appear frenetic or disorganized.
Practice, practice, practice! You should know your content inside and out. But don’t memorize
a script. Anticipate questions, and prepare your responses.
Use slides for graphical representation of complicated ideas or to illustrate points being
discussed.
• Limit the amount of text on each slide.
• Your slides supplement your presentation, not the other way around.
Simplicity wins. Generally, going for a flashy presentation will distract more than it adds.
8. Client: [ifridge]
Project: [ifridge Corporate]
Project Lead: [Daniel Kraft]
Stefanie Lightman
Founder & Managing Partner
Marketing veteran, keep-it-real expert
Thank You
Contact
@DanielKraft
www.ifridge.com/DanielKraft
@SBLightman
www.ifridge.com/StefanieLightman
ifridge & Company
Website: ifridge.com
Follow us: twitter.com/ifridge
Backstage: facebook.com/ifridge
North America
349 5th Avenue, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Europe
Moltkestr. 24
26122 Oldenburg, Germany
Daniel Kraft
Founder & Managing Partner
Creative mind, communicator, investor